Mercy
by ParanoidAndroid42
Summary: What would happen if Zira died at the end of TLK?  Simba and Nala now raise Kovu, Nuka and Vitani alongside Kopa and Kiara.  So what would the outsider cubs be like if they were raised differently? Rated for mild violence.
1. The New King

A/N: This is my first go at a TLK fic so I apologise in advance if something sounds off, I'll do my best to make it as authentic as I can to the world of TLK. I will be using an aging system that resembles true lions but also merges with human aging in a way.

Chapter one: The new King

The rain was a relief for the drought ridden lands. The earth became moist again and the few seedling plants strained to reach a drop of water so they could grow. Through the mists and clouds, amongst the dead, grey landscape stood a structure. Pride Rock. A tall, strong monument and home to the Pridelanders, a group of lions who had lived there for a century or more and held the largest territory in the area.

The last five years had been the reign of King Scar after the tragic death of his brother King Mufasa and the young Crown Prince Simba. It was uncovered however, that Simba was alive and that Scar had murdered his brother in order to gain the throne. Simba had returned and confronted his uncle for his crime and defeated him in battle, so on the tip of Pride Rock stood a golden lion with an auburn mane. The new king. Simba.

Simba looked out at his ravaged home; he was now king, the very position he had been born for and trained for. He knew there was so much to be done before he could rest so he walked back to the base of Pride Rock and stood before his pride. There were faces he recognised from his cubhood, his mother Sarabi, Nala's mother Sarafina, Tojo's mother, Chumvi and Kula's mother and Tama's mother. His friends were nowhere to be seen and he remembered Nala mentioning that they had found sanctuary with Malka's kingdom in the East after escaping from Scar's claws, there were new faces too, and lionesses he didn't know. He took a breath and motioned for Nala to come forward.

"Nala, is there anyone else? Is this everyone?"

Nala looked nervous and he became worried.

"Nala?"

"During the fight Scar's mate Zira was killed. They had three cubs but we don't know where she has hidden them."

Simba blinked in shock, he had cousins? Then he sobered, the law of the Pride Lands stated that any new king must erase all competition, Scar's cubs had to die, family or not. The gathered lionesses saw their king come to this decision and they pitied him, for a lion so young as Simba to have to do this brutal act was nightmarish but even the king could not ignore the law. Simba ordered a group of lionesses to search the caves for the cubs while he waited with Nala, Sarafina and Sarabi.

"Mother? Why do I have to do this? Surely the cubs are young enough that they don't pose a threat to me."

Sarabi bowed her head.

"Of course they don't pose a threat to you now but there are two males and if they grow then they could challenge you."

Sarafina thought back to her cubs, Nala and Mheetu and recalled Scar's words after he took the throne.

"_I know that it is law for me to kill all the cubs here tonight but to do that would be a mistake. I offer all of your cubs the chance to live if they accept me as their king and give their word not to challenge my rule once they are of age."_

"Simba? I know you still feel betrayed by Scar, we all do but there is one thing he did right."

Simba looked at his mother in law; he trusted her and nodded his head for her to continue.

"Scar let all our cubs live so long as they didn't challenge him and accepted him as king, you could do the same."

Sarabi nodded,

"I had forgotten about that one good thing he did, thank you Saffy for reminding me."

Simba thought, he would offer the cubs more than that. While he played around with the idea in his mind he voiced his thoughts.

"What if Nala and I took them in? Allowed them to keep their titles and raised them?" At the shocked looks on their faces he continued "hear me out. Any cubs that we have will be the heirs but what if we betrothed them to Scar's cubs? Is that possible?"

Nala was the one to reply.

"We could do that Simba, but what if we only have two cubs? What would we do then?"

"I can train both the males to be king, there's no law that prevents two or even three kings ruling together. Dad told me that he and Scar were always meant to rule together but his father stopped it."

"Simba's right." Sarabi added, a smile forming on her muzzle. Sarafina and Nala voiced their agreements and Simba smiled, happy that he wouldn't have to kill. The family started to catch up on news of Simba's life in the jungle, he introduced them to Timon and Pumbaa and Sarabi lectured him when he mentioned all the dangerous stunts he'd done and all the worry he'd put his best friends through.

Their reunion was cut short by a shout from the returning scouts.

"King Simba! We found the cubs, they are in the main cave sire, waiting for you."


	2. The Meeting

A/N: If anyone would like to see concept art from this fic then it can be found at my Deviantart gallery. I go by Oncoming-Storm.

Chapter two: The Meeting

Nuka crouched low behind the rocks, he could hear the lionesses looking for him and his siblings and he was scared. Shielding Kovu and Vitani under his paws he carefully peeked out from their hiding place, there was no sign of his mother or father anywhere in the chaos, only some of the pride-sisters searching.

"Nuru! Over here, I've found them."

Nuka froze as a shadow loomed over him and he looked into the eyes of Hawa, a lioness that had been very friendly with his mother.

"Aunt Hawa? W…what's going on? Where are Mother and Father?"

Hawa looked down at the former Prince, his blood red eyes shimmering with tears of fear and his paws shielding young Kovu and Vitani from harm and she sighed. It was a terrible thing for a cub to die, let alone one that she loved so dearly but the law is firm and no-one could change it.

"You have to come with us young one, King Scar and Queen Zira have been killed."

Nuka looked between her and Nuru, shock written on his face.

"I'm afraid it is the truth Nuka. There is a new king now, Simba, and Nala is his queen, they wish to talk with you."

Nuka, though his body was weak, had a sharp mind and knew the laws of the kingdom as his father had taught him. A new king meant that he was now a threat and so he must die. The cub stood and walked out from his shelter, aware of the lionesses staring at him as he calmly walked to a spot in the centre of the main cave, awaiting his fate.

A figure came to the mouth of the cave, King Simba. The golden lion strode forward and stopped just in front of Nuka.

"Everyone." Simba began, not yet accustomed to making speeches. "I know the law tells me to kill any previous cubs but that is something I can't do. These cubs are harmless to me and I will allow them to live if they agree to my conditions."

The lionesses began to murmur amongst themselves in surprise. It was a happy shock that Simba would spare the youngsters and their respect for him grew.

"Silence!" The king sat in front of his cousins and met Nuka's gaze. "Nuka, I offer you the chance to continue living here as a Prince of the realm, the same is true of your siblings. You may all remain here and retain your titles but to do so I need your agreement."

"Y…yes sire." Nuka stuttered but tried to remember his manners as he looked up at his cousin.

Simba smiled, trying to seem less scary. "Don't be so afraid Nuka, I won't harm you and neither will anyone else here. Nala and I have discussed things and we have decided that if you agree to accept myself as your king and agree to be under my tutelage then you can stay. I will continue to train yourself and your brother Kovu to be kings and Nala will train Vitani to be one of the leaders of the hunting party, is this alright?"

Nuka's mind raced, he could stay? Still be a prince? Be a king?

"Yes sire, I agree to your conditions."

"Excellent, there is one other matter that I need to inform you of however. Kovu and Vitani will be betrothed to my own cubs if there is a boy and a girl. This doesn't affect you taking over the throne. If I have a son then the three of you shall rule together, I won't make the mistake that my grandfather made." Simba stood and called Nala to help him move the cubs, Nuka moved aside to allow Kovu and Vitani to be carried by their new guardians and he followed after them, relief pulsing through his veins. They were all alive and Simba and Nala had promised them a good life.

Simba placed Kovu down beside Nala and Vitani and turned to find Nuka missing. Worried about the mental condition of the cub Simba bolted out of the cave, only to find the cub sitting on the outcrop and looking out at the sunset. Slowly padding over, the king sat next to his forlorn ward.

"Nuka, what is it?"

The young prince looked up at the slowly appearing distant stars and Simba followed his gaze, knowing what was going through young Nuka's mind.

"They are there Nuka. With their family, they will always watch over you." Simba spotted Mufasa's star and next to it another, smaller star that hadn't been there before. Taka's star. The young king smiled and drew Nuka close and the two of them sat there, stargazing until Nuka could hardly keep his eyes open and Simba took him back into the cave to sleep with his family.


	3. The Presentation

A/N: Apologies for the lateness of this chapter. University called so fic writing had to take a break. Updates won't be as frequent as I had hoped from now until July due to real life obligations. Since summer is coming up and I have a few months away from university, I'll try and upload a new chapter weekly but I can't promise anything.

Chapter 3: The presentation

It had been five months since Simba had taken the throne and the Pridelands had almost recovered. Outside the royal cave however, the king paced restlessly. His mate, Nala, was giving birth to the new prince or princess of the kingdom and Simba had been told to wait outside until he was called. The young king was not alone; his friends Timon and Pumbaa were with him and so was the young prince Nuka.

"Relax buddy, Nala will be fine."

Simba turned to the meerkat, amber eyes filled with worry.

"What if something goes wrong?" he demanded, wincing as Nala's roars of pain echoed. "How can I relax when I don't know what's going on Timon?"

"Simba, Simba, Simba." Timon patted his friend's muzzle, "Nala is a strong lioness, she'll be fine."

The king sighed, he wanted to go inside. To hell with tradition! He stopped and forced himself to sit and wait, no matter how long it seemed. Soon enough his mother appeared at the mouth of the cave, she didn't say anything, she didn't need to. The smile on her face was enough permission for Simba to rush inside. Nala was resting on her side, Sarafina next to her and two small golden bundles by her stomach. Simba froze.

"Come and see them." Nala raised her head and beckoned her mate over to see their cubs. The king shook himself and walked forward, careful not to disturb the new-borns.

"Are they alright?" Simba studied the cubs, not noticing the slight movement of their chests as they breathed.

Nala laughed "oh Simba, you worry too much. They're fine. A girl and a boy."

The king grinned and nuzzled his mate. "Have you named them?" he asked, ready to call Zazu and tell him to bring Rafiki for the presentations.

"Not yet, I thought you could do that."

Simba once again looked at the cubs. "Kiara, for our daughter, and our son shall be Kopa." He nodded, pleased with the names. Nala smiled and groomed the newly named prince Kopa and princess Kiara, making them ready for their ceremony the following morning.

Morning came and with the rising sun came vast herds. The ceremony of Prince Kopa and Princess Kiara would start soon. At Pride Rock the royal family waited, Kopa and Kiara were fast asleep in their mother's paws and Simba looked out to the overhang that offered the best view of his kingdom from this level.

'Go Simba, we'll be fine.' Nala could sense her mate's worry and firmly shooed him outside so he could greet the arriving animals. The gold king smiled and shook his head, Nala had always been a demanding lioness and it was good to see she hadn't changed much.

The ceremony itself went smoothly and soon the herds had departed. Simba looked up at the sky, he could have sworn that he saw his father smiling down on his grandchildren when they were shown to the kingdom and blessed by Rafiki. He heard footsteps behind him and turned to see his mother coming to sit by him.

'Why don't you go inside Simba?'

The king looked at his paws and then at the sky,

'I thought I saw dad earlier, when Kopa and Kiara were presented.'

Sarabi followed her son's gaze to the cloudless sky.

'Simba, your father is watching. I'm sure he was up there, happy to see the next generation but you can't sit out here and wait for him to show himself again. You're a father yourself now, Mufasa will always be with you just don't waste your life trying to be exactly like him. Be yourself Simba, you're a good king.'

'Thanks mom.'

Sarabi flicked him with her tail,

'Now get inside and spend some time with your children.'

Simba jumped up and almost ran inside, leaving Sarabi alone. The old lioness felt a breeze against her fur, curling around her neck like an embrace.

'Hello my love, look at our Simba. I'm so proud of him.'

The breeze strengthened as if it agreed and Sarabi chuckled, Mufasa was also proud of his son.


	4. Training Begins

A/N: Sorry about the long gap between updates everyone. Real life is keeping me busy at the moment so updates are going to be very slow

Chapter 4: Training begins

Six months after the birth of Kopa and Kiara Simba's kingdom was once again green and full of splendour. One morning, just before sunrise, Prince Kopa and Prince Kovu bounded out onto the overhang. Simba had promised the cubs that he would take them all up to the very top that morning and the two boys were impatiently waiting for him to wake up.

'Hey Kopa, come and see this!' Kovu's tail twitched in anticipation while he looked over the kingdom. Kopa, his best friend, shook his golden fur and padded over to where Kovu was lounging.

'What is it?' The young prince squinted to try and see what Kovu had pointed out. To him, it looked like a lion and he shrank back slightly, pulling Kovu's tail to get him to hide. Kovu followed Kopa back into the cave and frowned at the golden cub.

'What was that all about Kopa?'

'It looked like a lion, you know how dangerous rogues are. We should tell dad.'

'Tell me what boys?' Simba appeared behind them, Kiara, Vitani and Nuka at his heels. The king smiled softly and walked out of the cave, flicking his tail to signal the cubs to follow him. As they walked, Simba remembered his father walking this same path when Simba was only a cub, Kopa and Kovu were slightly ahead of him and he laughed at their eagerness. At the top, with the entire kingdom in view Simba sat close to the edge and the cubs gathered around him.

'Look children. Everything the light touches is our kingdom.' A breeze ruffled Simba's mane and he smiled. 'A king's time as ruler rises and falls like the sun. One day, the sun will set on my time here and rise with you as the new kings and queens.' While the cubs stared in awe at the vast plains before them, Simba looked to the sky and closed his eyes.

'Simba?' Nuka nudged the king's paw and looked out towards the shadowlands. Simba followed his cousin's gaze and sighed,

'Cubs, let me tell you a story. It's about something my father called the circle of life.' The cubs all sat in front of Simba as he lay down on the stone floor. 'The circle of life must be respected and if it isn't the land will wither and become useless. Now, once there lived a great king who looked after the land and its people. Because he was wise and noble the people respected him even though they were prey animals. This king only hunted what was needed, and so the land was always full and there was plenty for everyone but what the king did not know was that another lion was plotting against him. This lion was consumed by jealousy and had a vicious pack of jackals at his command. He injured and exiled the wise king and took the throne for himself. This new king allowed the jackals to hunt whenever they wished and so the herds dwindled until there was nothing. He did not understand the circle of life and how we must respect all creatures even though some are our food and so his reign ended in famine for the pride.'

Simba could see the understanding on the faces of the cubs and then he looked over to the shadowlands. 'See over there? Those lands are not part of the pridelands, hyena's live there and I need you to promise me you won't go there,' the king looked down at his heirs, knowing that whatever they promised wouldn't matter, cubs were naturally curious and they were bound to disobey him. 'I'll take you there when you're older, you'll need to pass through them to get to the other kingdoms after all,' Simba hoped that by promising to take them himself they wouldn't run blindly into danger like he did.

'Simba? Was that story about dad and uncle Mufasa?' Vitani asked, looking sad as she thought of her father.

'Not as such Vitani. That story was an old tale passed down through the generations, Mufasa and Scar's tale is similar but unlike the king in the story Mufasa had many faults and unlike the false king Scar tried to do his best with very little, a drought hit the lands during Scar's time and when everything went wrong he was blamed.' Simba bent to the cub's eye level and smiled. 'Scar and Mufasa were both flawed but brilliant in their own different ways, don't let anyone tell you Scar was pure evil, he was just always left behind and in the end it was too late for him to catch up.'

The cubs were again raptured by Simba's speech and he chuckled, it was good being the center of attention. 'Alright kids, I'm sure the hunting party is back with dinner, let's race and see who gets there first,' Simba crouched down and the cubs sprinted off before he could even shout 'go'. Growling playfully he followed, keeping up with them but never overtaking, "let them win this time" he thought "I can always get them later".


End file.
